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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · fork · can · stock · field · object · bore · club

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. bore — to tire
  6. object — a thing
  7. stock — goods
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — music
  10. club — a group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stock — shares
  13. object — to protest
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — a subject
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pop — to visit
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com